It's warm and rainy and foggy in Washington this morning. It's the "thanksgiving" time of year, and we're headed into the season where we're reminded to think well of our fellow man, whatever he might have done to deserve it (or not).

TOTD: What are your charities? Do you have organizations to whom you give consistently, and do you have a giving plan? My husband and I have a set amount for giving every month, and we hit the target consistently. I keep a spreadsheet of the checks written during the year for charitable purposes, and it's all set to give to the accountant at tax time.

Our most frequent charity is Smile Train, which I have mentioned here before. They fix cleft palate in poor children around the world. For $250 you can pay for a complete surgery, and I'm happy to say that we "repair" five or six children a year. We also give to my prep school, Habitat for Humanity, Children's Hospital in Washington, the National Cathedral, and the Whitman Walker Clinic.

What are your causes?

Ree

11-14-2008, 08:55 AM

It's Friday!!!

TOTD: I have no thoughts at this time....Check back at a later date..:D

linda22003

11-14-2008, 08:57 AM

Excuse me. You may not be aware that I am the Friday thread person. I have done the thread for this morning. It's all covered. ;)

RobJohnson

11-14-2008, 09:19 AM

Yes, it's Friday.

TOTD: How much time do you need??? :D

RobJohnson

11-14-2008, 09:20 AM

Ree already has today covered.

http://www.conservativeunderground.com/forum505/showthread.php?t=7905

Mods, please lock this thread. :)

Space Gravy

11-14-2008, 09:22 AM

TOTD:

I really don't have a plan or keep records like that.

When I've got a need to I'll drop old clothes off at one of the bins in most shopping centers.

I've heard and read some many bad things about salaries and overhead costs for name charities I'm leery of giving them anything. I know not all are bad, but I just don't have researching and following up with it high on my priority list.

I've got plenty of nieces, nephews and co-workers kids that have fund raisers for school uniforms or trips that I support with buying crates of oranges, raffle tickets, girl scout cookies, etc.... I also used to dump my car change tray into the fireman's boot when it was legal.

Space Gravy

11-14-2008, 09:22 AM

Ree already has today covered.

http://www.conservativeunderground.com/forum505/showthread.php?t=7905

Mods, please lock this thread.

Damn, and I thought this was a good topic too!

Cold Warrior

11-14-2008, 09:24 AM

Another gloomy day here in southern New England -- cloudy, cold, and generally miserable. I'll be "bach'ng" it this weekend as the girlfriend is again off to the Big City for her class on implants.

TOTD: The Humane Society and the ASPCA.

movie buff

11-14-2008, 09:28 AM

TOTD: Not specific organizations, but I work with and donate to a lot of temporary charity drives through my church (i.e. this weekend, I'll be buying a soccer ball for a 13-year-old boy as part of my church's Christmas toy drive for needy kids, and I'm also currently collecting spare change to benefit a residential maternity home for pregnant women and teens in need).

Ree

11-14-2008, 09:36 AM

Excuse me. You may not be aware that I am the Friday thread person. I have done the thread for this morning. It's all covered. ;)
FINE....delete the thread...:p

I also give to St. Jude Children's Hospital, I've upped the amount to about 6% of my yearly pay ($1,800.00 out of roughly 30 grand a year).

Look Ma, I give more of my money to charity then Joe Biden! :D

Cold Warrior

11-14-2008, 09:47 AM

BTW, you've got a spelling error in the thread title! :eek: :D

linda22003

11-14-2008, 09:49 AM

An attempt at alliteration. :)

linda22003

11-14-2008, 09:50 AM

Take it up with Shannon; she's the boss who makes the day thread assignments. :o

Celtic Rose

11-14-2008, 09:54 AM

Very nice topic Linda :)

TOTD: I'm the secretary for the women's philanthropy group at my church where I just helped organize a clothing drive for a local charity organization. I knit for several charities, generally items like wool socks for children, wool vests and sweaters, and newborn and preemie hats. Wool items are generally donated to charities helping children internationally, and non-wool items are donated to US charities. I like to donate to MSF (Doctors without Borders/Medecins sans frontieres) and IOCC (International Orthodox Christian Charities), as well as other organizations that catch my eye. I like your idea of having a set amount to donate each month, I think I'm going to start that.

Ree

11-14-2008, 09:54 AM

Take it up with Shannon; she's the boss who makes the day thread assignments. :o
Meh....she's not worth the trouble...:D

linda22003

11-14-2008, 10:05 AM

If you like to knit for causes, or if you like to knit, period, you always have leftover yarn. Here's an idea for it:

"The WW II Museum is introducing a new project this year, "Knit Your Itty Bit." Knitters are asked to make 8x8 inch squares that will be later sewn together into afghans for veterans. A great project for one skein charitable knitters. Using the form below, squares may be dedicated to a specific veteran and both knitter and veteran will be acknowledged on the museums' web site.

If you wish to dedicate your quilt square to a veteran, please print and fill out this form and mail it in with your square.

Your name:
Address:
Email Address:
I dedicate this quilt square to the following veteran:

As to making a target for charitable giving, I highly recommend it. We also keep a monthly target for savings (over and above the 401K deductions). This makes it a deliberate action, rather than something you do with "leftover" money.

Celtic Rose

11-14-2008, 10:09 AM

If you like to knit for causes, or if you like to knit, period, you always have leftover yarn. Here's an idea for it:

"The WW II Museum is introducing a new project this year, "Knit Your Itty Bit." Knitters are asked to make 8x8 inch squares that will be later sewn together into afghans for veterans. A great project for one skein charitable knitters. Using the form below, squares may be dedicated to a specific veteran and both knitter and veteran will be acknowledged on the museums' web site.

If you wish to dedicate your quilt square to a veteran, please print and fill out this form and mail it in with your square.

Your name:
Address:
Email Address:
I dedicate this quilt square to the following veteran:

As to making a target for charitable giving, I highly recommend it. We also keep a monthly target for savings (over and above the 401K deductions). This makes it a deliberate action, rather than something you do with "leftover" money.

Thank you for the suggestions :)

Gingersnap

11-14-2008, 10:43 AM

It's snowing, that's about all I'll say about it.

TOTD: We don't follow a plan but we do have favorite charities: RAAP, the state wildlife fund, the Lupus Foundation, Sheltie (and Collie) Rescue, and various church-related efforts.

I also give to St. Jude Children's Hospital, I've upped the amount to about 6% of my yearly pay ($1,800.00 out of roughly 30 grand a year).

Look Ma, I give more of my money to charity then Joe Biden! :D

Welll, I donate a lot to Johnny Walker, but I don't get to claim that as a charitable donation. :D

linda22003

11-14-2008, 11:10 AM

That was my first thought. I didn't know Wild Turkey drinkers were federated.

marinejcksn

11-14-2008, 11:27 AM

Welll, I donate a lot to Johnny Walker, but I don't get to claim that as a charitable donation. :D

Rimshot! :D

Also, if you're donating funds to the appreciation of Johnny I just so happen to be accepting donations for this "Welcome home from Iraq" gift:
http://s7v1.scene7.com/is/image/JohnLewis/230406391?$product$
:D

marinejcksn

11-14-2008, 11:31 AM

That was my first thought. I didn't know Wild Turkey drinkers were federated.

No guys, seriously it's a for real charity! :o

Conservation Link (http://www.nwtf.org/)

See? :D

And; if it pleases the court, I'm actually a Crown Royal man. :cool:

Phillygirl

11-14-2008, 11:48 AM

Nice thread idea. I don't have a charitable giving plan. But the one charity that I consistently give to is to the local chapter of Birthright. (http://www.birthright.org/) Another frequent receiver is Mother's Home. (http://www.mothershome.org/) And then my college alma mater, my church, and various Veterans organizations that may contact me. I need to up the giving a bit. I do try to keep it primarily local and smaller named charities, just because I think they generally do better with the funds given and are frequently more in need.

Shannon

11-14-2008, 04:11 PM

I usually give to veteran organizations. I have donated to local animal shelters that don't put the animals to "sleep" as well.

FlaGator

11-14-2008, 04:46 PM

TOTD: I volunteer time for World Outreach, Second Harvest Food Bank and United Way. I give money to those same charities plus several others that I feel do a fine job helping those who can't help themselves. I also assist with support of time and money for a mission in Guatemala. And I donate to a mission/outreach program in Denver, Colorado called Esther House.

Aaron Burr

11-14-2008, 05:28 PM

I like Marine Jackson's idea. I'd donate to a booze fund for returning G.I's. Most charities I donate to leave me feeling kinda blasť about the whole thing. A Bourbon fund though...I would know exactly where my money was going and what was gonna' happen as a result of my giving.

Yeah, Bourbon. Buy American.

I'm in.

franksolich

11-14-2008, 10:48 PM

I dunno; I think charity should be a private thing, and one has to remember that some charity is income-tax deductible while there's other charities that aren't. To donate something with the idea of getting something back on the income-taxes, to me, seems mercenary.

The primitives on Skins's island pat themselves on the back for being "charitable," for example, when they "donate" old clothes or old computers to one place or another. That of course is excresence; all they're really doing is getting rid of junk,which is not charity. When I give things to thrift stores and such, I consider it junk disposal, nothing more.

True charity demands sacrifice, giving something up.

Giving away something one doesn't need any more or isn't going to use any more, therefore, isn't charity; it's simply junk disposal.

Other than to the local parish church and Republican candidates for small offices (city and county), I don't keep track of such things. I've paid for other people's dental work, or to help tide them over a rough week, or for automotive repair work, &c., &c., &c., and even in two cases all legal fees involved with immigration.

Unlike some organized (and hence income-tax deductible) charity, these are cases known to me first-hand.

But the deal is, I never missed the money, and so I doubt that's even a sacrifice.

It could very well be I'm the hardest, stingiest, miserliest person around; only God knows.

Shannon

11-14-2008, 11:13 PM

Wait, I don't get credit for my giving my unwanted clothes to Goodwill?:eek:

Bubba Dawg

11-14-2008, 11:18 PM

Good thread.

Cool and rainy here all day and into the night. Lots of fog.

TOTD: Yes, there are organizatons I give to every year.

Habitat for Humanity

World Vision

Nature Conservancy

Appalachia trail Conservancy

franksolich

11-16-2008, 10:54 PM

Wait, I don't get credit for my giving my unwanted clothes to Goodwill?:eek:

Well, of course you do, formally, I guess.

But it's not really charity; it's junk disposal.

However, there's nothing wrong with junk disposal; I've always noticed when people clean out their closets or attics or basements, getting rid of stuff that is both a physical and an emotional burden to them, their lives suddenly change for the better.

marinejcksn

11-16-2008, 11:38 PM

Good thread.

Cool and rainy here all day and into the night. Lots of fog.

TOTD: Yes, there are organizatons I give to every year.

Habitat for Humanity

World Vision

Nature Conservancy

Appalachia trail Conservancy

Nice. Have you gotten a chance to hike it? I've been thinking about doing it for a while now.

linda22003

11-17-2008, 08:00 AM

Well, of course you do, formally, I guess.

But it's not really charity; it's junk disposal.

I've always taken deductions for monetary donations, but not for donation of items. The one exception was when I donated a piano to my church, and they provided me with an appraisal for that purpose.

franksolich

11-17-2008, 09:31 AM

I've always taken deductions for monetary donations, but not for donation of items. The one exception was when I donated a piano to my church, and they provided me with an appraisal for that purpose.

Don't misconstrue my point as criticism, madam. Of course not, because as you've known for a very long time, franksolich is perhaps one of your biggest fans and steadfastest friends.

If one is legally able to deduct the cost of non-monetary contributions so as to lower his income-taxes, then one should deduct.

My original point was that just because something is an established formal organization, and the Internal Revenue Service says that contributions to it are tax-deductible, that doesn't necessary mean it's charity.

And there are instances, individual hard-luck cases usually, that are not tax-deductible, but one is confident God considers contributions there to be charity or compassion or whatnot.

I have no beef against the Internal Revenue Service, but sometimes I wonder if the IRS and God use different dictionaries to define the meanings of words, where a particular word has a definition in one that's completely at odds with a definition in the other.

linda22003

11-17-2008, 10:03 AM

Don't misconstrue my point as criticism, madam. Of course not, because as you've known for a very long time, franksolich is perhaps one of your biggest fans and steadfastest friends.

Back atcha, sir, and I do take your point. The tax code is structured to encourage/discourage certain behaviors, and I'll take the deductions I'm entitled to (and due to our income level, we don't get credit for them all). I would give (to some extent, at least) without deductibility, but I think "good" behavior should be encouraged.

I don't think there should be a tax on savings interest, for example. :mad:

RobJohnson

11-17-2008, 04:21 PM

My giving tends to be more "hands on" then simply writing a quarterly check.

Charity can be something as simple as putting a smile on someone's face that otherwise does not have alot to smile about. Like the fine folks here that take their greyhounds to the nursing home to visit residents.

I give more labor then anything...doing for others things they used to have to pay to have done. Some of this is computer work, and I did teach a 70 year old lady how to email her daughter in CA...it took a couple months for her to get comfortable with it...but now they email each other daily.

I have done everything from taking homeless young adults into my house to many hours of youth ministry..I hope my time makes a difference.

My mother has been spending every Wed with a group that makes quilts for children with cancer that are in the hospital. It's my understanding that the kids get quite attached to the blankets. I did donate some cash for the materials. As I am not into making quilts. :p